Rolling-mill apparatus



Oct. 12 1926. v 1,603,202 J. R. GEORGE ET AL v ROLLING MILL APPARATUSFiled Oct. 22 I 1925 Jfioarzivrs;

Jrome l? Geog-9e .75/1/2 I? .J/zeperdJO/Z Patented Oct. 12, 19 26.

Niran STATES PAT F ice.

JEROME R. GEORGE, JOHN W. SHEPERDSON, AN'D ARVIID T. BLOOM, OF\VORC'ESTIER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO MORGAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY,OF WORCES- TER, EASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ROLLING-MILL ArPaRA'rUs;

Application filed October 22, 1925. Serial No. 64,173.

The presentinvention relates generally to rolling mills. The inventionresides in a novel disposition and arrangement of rolling millapparatus, especially applicableto a general-purpose or jobbing mill,which is adapted to the rolling of a large variety of different sizesand sections.

The features and advantagesof the invention arefully set forth in thefollowing description, reference being had to the ac- 'companyingdrawing, in which the single figure is a diagrammatic plan view ofrolling mill apparatus arranged in accordance with the invention.

Referring to said drawing, the preliminary reduction of the stock asreceived from a heating furnace, not shown, is preferably effected in acontinuous roughing mill, here shownas constituted by two groups ortrains of rolls, the first group, for example, comprising't'our standsof rolls 1, 2, 3 and 4, and thesecond group, for example,-comprising thestands of rolls 5, 6, 7 and 8. Obviously, the number of stands of 'rollsin these roughing trains may be varied at will without dcparting frpmthe spirit and scope. of the present invention; the latter, asherein-after set forth, being concerned not with said trains of roughingrolls per se, but with the particular arrangements and combina tionsthat involve also the intermediate roll tralilns and the finishing rolltrains of the m1 The continuously arranged roughing stands 1, 2, 3 and 4are preferably driven each from an independent'source of power, as forinstance, an adjustable speed electric motor 20, having interposedreduction earing 21 to obtain the low speeds require for said rolls. Thesecond train of roughing rolls, constituted by the continuously arrangedstands 5, 6, 7 and 8, are driven from another independent'source ofpower, name- 1y, as here shown, a separate and. distinct adjustablespeed electric motor 22. In ageneralurpose or jobbing mill, the severalstan s ofsroughing rolls 1 to 8 inclusive, arranged for continuousoperation, are each preferably provided with a plurality of independentrows of differently shaped passes, to give such variety as may bedesired inthe cross section of the, reduced material emerging from theroughing mill. Said material as thus brought into condition for furtherf'ai'n-ication by rolling may be handled. in intermediate and finishingroll trains, in a variety of ways, as will now be described in detail.

for the driving of the second roughing train,

the rolls 9 and 11 operating in the reverse direction from said roughingtrain and the rolls 10 in the same direction as said roughing train. Thegearing for the rolls 9, 10 and 11 is arranged, as shown, to rotate themat progressively increasing speeds, thus to compensate for theelongation of the stock, due to its passage through said rolls.

The introduction of the stock to the. first stand of rolls 9 of theintermediate looping train may be accomplishedin two different ways. Asshown, a Y-transfer conveying mechanism 23 of well known construction isdisposed in position to receive the stock from the roughing mill, andthis mechanism provides the usual means, in the form of skewed conveyorrolls 24, 24:, for effecting the travel of each piece as receivedthereon in. the opposite direction, so as to present the rear end ofsaid piece to the pass of the rolls 9.

Or, if desired, a mill operator, appropriately stationed, may seize thefront end of each piece emerging from the rolling mill and enter itbetween the rolls 9, the stock in this instance forming a loop, as shownat 2'5. Vvhichever the method .of introduction employed, the stock as itleaves the rolls 9 of the intermediate mill is susceptible of a varietyof selective different dispositions, to meet the varying requirementsthat arise in a general-purpose or jobbing mill.

For example, an operator, appropriately stationed, may seize the firstend of the stock emerging from the rolls 9 and enter itbetween the rolls10, the stock, under these conditions, forming a loop, as shown at 26;then, after passage of the stock through the rolls 10, its'first end maybe seized and entered stance forming a loop, as shown at 27.

between the rolls 11, the stock in this i61- r if desired, the stock asit leaves therolls 9 may be diverted from any further interme diatereduction, by being entered by an. operator between a pair of rolls 12,the stock in this instance forming a loop, as shown at 28. Furthermore,said rolls l2 in addition to receiving the stock direct from the rolls 9of the intermediate train may likewise receive the stock from the rollsll of said intermediate train, the stock in this lastnamed instanceforming a loop, as shown at 29.

The rolls 12 constitute, in the present arrangement, a part of thefinishing mill which is made up additionally of the alined stands ofrolls 13, 14 and 15, all of said finishing stands of rolls being hereshown as driven from a third independent source of power, for example, avariable speed electric motor 30, from which a belt drive asindicated at31, is taken to each of said finishing stands. Any one of the stands ofrolls 1'2, 13, 14 or 15 is selectively available for finishing thestock, in advance of its projection onto a suitable runout, not shown,for delivery to a cooling bed or other receiving device, not shown. Forinstance, if the mill is operating for the production of large rods orbars, these will be finished in the 'stand of rolls 12, the threesucceeding stands of rolls 13, 14 and 15 being temporarily removed orrendered inoperative so as to make the stand 12 the final stand of themill. On the other hand, if the mill is operating for the production ofsmall wire rods, these are finished in the stands of rolls 12, 13 and14,the

stand 15 alone being the only one removed or rendered inoperative.Again, if the mill is operating for the production of strip material,such material may be finished either in the stand 12, or the stand 13,01the stand 15; if finished in stand. 13, the space between,

stands 12 and 13 is sufiicient for the formation of a loop,'as shown at32, and if finished in stand 15, the removal of stand 14 givessuflicient space between stands 13 and 15 for the formation of a loop,as shown at 33. Thus there is no' obstacle, either in the non-continuousintermediate mill, nor in the normal continuous finishing mill, to theformation of free loops in the material being rolled, nor any handicapto the flexibility and capacity for selective operation whichcharacterize the arrangement as an entirety.

I, It is to be noted that the apparatus as above described possessesmany of the advantages of a specialty mill, for the rolling of arelatively limited number of different sections, while at the same timeeliminating the limitations on flexibility and other disadvantages thatsuch a mill must usually work under. Furthermore, as a general-purposeor jobbing mill, the invention makes possible the selective rolling of alarge variety of different sizes and sections with a minimum number ofchanges required in the apparatus to adapt it to the rolling of thevarious products required.

We claim, 1 1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination withcontinuous roughing and finishing mills, of a non-continuousintermediate mill, wherein the speed ratio of each stand of rolls toevery other stand-in said intermediate mill is other than unity.

2. Inapparatus of the class described the combination with a continuousroughing mill, of a non-continuous intermediate mill, wherein the speedratio of each stand ofrolls to every other stand is other than unity,and a succeeding plurality of alined stands of rolls in any one of whichthe product rolled by said roughing and intermediate mills may befinished. v

3. 1n apparatus of the class described, the combination with acontinuous roughing mill, of a non-continuous intermediate mill, and acontinuous finishing mill, the latter providing a plurality of alinedstands of rolls, each selectively available to provide the final passfor the material being rolled, and further providing for the formationof free loops in saidv material bet-ween said stands.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with continuousroughing and finishing trains of rolls, ofian intermediate loopingtrain, consisting of a plurality of stands of rolls each driven atsuccessively higher speeds than the one precedin 5. In apparatus of theclass desori d, the

combination with a continuous roughing mill providin two separatedgroups of roll stands, with separate driving means for each group, of anon-continuous intermediate m-ill having the same driving means as thesecond group of roughing rolls and providing a plurality of stands ofrolls each driven at a igher speed than its predecessor, and acontinuous separately driven finishing mill providing a lurality ofalined stands of rolls, each seectively available to serve as the finalpass for the material being rolled,

said stands of finishing rolls being spaced apart for the formation offree loops in said material between'said stands, when desired.

JEROME 'R. GEORGE. JOHN W. SHEPERDSON. ARVID v T. BLOOM,

